Hands to Scorch my Skin
by Kainichi
Summary: Kazumi is a simple servant who has just turned 18. Can things possibly get any worse than that? Yes, yes they can. WARNING! OC! Axel/OC


_**Hands to Scorch my Skin**_

Pairings: Axel/OC

Rating: unknown

Summery: How can his eyes seem so cold while the rest of him is burning?

My name is Kazumi and I am a servant. Not a servant to some pompous rich guy, oh no. I am a servant to an organization. Organization XIII. I have served the XIII since it began, when Xemnas was 'born'. I was fourteen when it started, fifteen when his first follower joined. Oh, and before you ask, I'm a Somebody. Still got my heart.

Well, I should probably start this story. This story begins on my birthday. Not just any birthday, mind you, but my eighteenth birthday. Now, I know to any other girl this would be a cause of celebration, but not for me. For me it only meant one, terribly dreadful thing. It meant I had come of age.

Xemnas had only two rules; don't disobey and don't touch the underage servants. He'd made the second after he caught Larxene lip-locking with the sixteen-year-old chef assistant. Now, I'm not stupid, I could see some of the men watching me. One, in particular always seemed to have his eye on me.

Xigbar, the first person to join up with Xemnas. The man was just plain creepy. It seemed that every time I turn around, there he was there. Normally, I would just walk away from him, not letting him get under my skin. But this day was different. I was no longer underage, no longer off limits, I was free game.

I was sweeping the kitchen when he approached me. I squeezed the handle of the broom so tightly; my knuckles began to turn white. I was prepared to use it as a weapon, if necessary.

"Good day, Kazumi." Xigbar said in an overly friendly way. "And happy birthday."

I fixed my grip on the broom. "Thank you, sir. A good day to you as well."

Xigbar picked up an apple. "How old are you turning again today?" he asked, before taking a bite.

A lump formed in my throat and I couldn't make it go away. "E-eighteen, sir."

"Ah. So, what does it feel like to be an adult?"

"No different than when I was seventeen, sir." I quickly swept the collected dirt into a pan and dumped it into the trash can. "Now, please excuse me, sir. I have to go do the rest of my chores." I wanted to get away from him as fast as I could.

"Wait a second." He said as he grabbed a hold of my arm. He backed me against the counter, placing his face near mine. "I still have to give you your present, and I'd rather not wait till later."

I turned my head away. "Sir, please let me go. Superior will be angry if I don't finish my work."

"Shush, he doesn't need to know." He held my chin, running his thumb across my quivering bottom lip. "You know, I've been watching you for awhile now. You've grown so much since I first met you."

I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, but all sound escaped me. My entire body was shaking. His breath was hot on my face and I could smell the apple on his breath. My eyes started to water up so I squeezed them shut. I felt his lips brush against mine. Then suddenly I could no longer feel his body pressing against me. I opened my eyes to see Xigbar shoved against the wall, an arm pressed to his throat. It was another member of the organization, his hood up.

Xigbar gasped and struggled to pry the arm off. He coughed, his face starting to turn blue. The person released him and took a step back. "What the hell were you doing?" The person hissed.

Xigbar took in several deep breaths. He glared at the man. "None of your damn business!"

"I wonder if Xemnas would feel the same way."

"Whatever." Xigbar turned and left, after waving at me. "I'll see you later, Kazumi. We'll finish this then." I shuddered.

My savior sighed, annoyed. "Asshole." He started to leave, but I grabbed his arm. He looked back at me. His face was overshadowed by the hood. "What?"

I gulped. "I-I wanted to th-thank you, for saving me." I cursed myself for stuttering. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "Xigbar's a jack ass; don't let him get to you."

"Y-yeah…" _Damn it, I did it again._ I scolded myself. "Um, w-would you mind taking down your h-hood so I can tell who you are and th-thank you p-properly."

"Sure, why not." He pulled down his hood and a mass of red spikes came out. Beneath each of his cold emerald eyes was a black line. "The name's Axel, kid. A-X-E-L, got it memorized?"

I nodded. "Of course, Axel, sir. You're number VIII, right? You're the one who fought with the key blade master first, correct?"

Axel sighed. "Yeah, that's me. You want anything else, or can I go?"

"O-oh! I'm so sorry, sir!" I bowed. "I didn't mean to be a bother. Please forgive me."

"It's fine." He turned to walk away but paused. "Hey, kid? What's your name?"

I smiled at his back. "My name's Kazumi, sir. Thank you for asking."

He looked back at me and I could've sworn his eyes were a tiny bit warmer. "I'll see you again sometime, Kazumi."

My heart sped up. "Y-yes, sir…"

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"Hey, Demyx?" I spoke up as I scrubbed the floor of Demyx's, number IX of the organization, bathroom. Demyx was the only member I could really call my friend and talk to.

Demyx was sitting on his bed, fiddling with his sitar. "Yeah, what is it, 'Zumi?"

"What do you know about number VIII, Axel?"

"Ax?" Demyx was now leaning in the doorway. "Why do you want to know? You see him?"

I nodded, sitting up. "He helped me out earlier. Xigbar came at me and Axel pulled him off. He…had a weird look in his eyes. Are you friends with him?"

Demyx nodded and sat down on the toilet. "Ax's my buddy, but he's been different lately. You remember that one kid, Roxas? The one who left? Well, him and Axel were best friends. When Rox left it really tore him up. He tried to stop him, he even tried to bring him back, but he came back empty handed. Ever since then he's been colder, and he gets agitated easier."

"Oh, poor Axel…" I looked at the floor. "I think I remember Roxas. He was kinda nice but never seemed like he belonged here." I stood and brushed off my knees. "He was the key blade master's Nobody…"

Demyx stood as well. He rubbed my shoulder. "Here's some advice, stay away from Axel. If he gets angry he'll hurt you. And Ax can hurt real bad."

I shrugged. "I can handle pain, Dem. Well, I'm done with my chores for today, so I guess I'll head to bed." I smiled at him. "Thanks for talking with me."

Demyx grinned and ruffled my hair, which he knew I hated. "Take care of yourself, 'Zumi. Keep an eye out for Xigbar."

"Sure, Dem."

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The next day I was surprised to find Axel standing outside my room when I went to do my chores for the day. I blinked a few times in surprise. "A-Axel, sir? What are you doing here?"

Axel looked annoyed. "Xemnas found out about what Xigbar did so he said you have the day off. And to make sure Xigbar doesn't attack you again, I'm supposed to keep an eye on you." He pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against. "So, since I'm stuck with you, what do you want to do?"

I was stunned for a second. "Uh…I…don't really know…I've never really had a day off before so…"

"Oh, take your time deciding. Not like there's anything I'd like to do with my time." He grumbled.

I swallowed thickly. "Wh-what would you like to do, sir? I feel bad about taking up your time so…"

He stared at me before his hand shot out, seizing my wrist. "Come on." He began pulling me down the halls, turning this way and that. Within a few minutes we were in the training hall.

I stared in awe at how big it was before wincing in pain. The wrist he had in his hand was starting to burn. "Sir, can you let go please. You're burning me."

Axel glanced at me before dropping my wrist. "Sorry, sometimes I forget how hot my body is." He looked forward again and raised his hand. Several Dusks appeared. Suddenly there was a pair of flaming chakram in his hands. "This is what I like to do with my time, kid. You just sit and watch, so you don't get hurt."

I nodded dumbly and sat down on the floor and watched him attack the Dusks. Soon he got bored and summoned Dancers and Creepers. He fought nonstop for an hour before started to show signs of tiring, but he still didn't stop. There was only one Dancer left and he couldn't seem to hit it. Every time he sent one of his chakram flying at it, it would just dodge out of the way. It managed to grab him and fling him.

_BAM!_

He slammed against a wall. The dancer, happy with its victory, disappeared to celebrate.

I ran over to him. "Axel, sir! Are you okay?!" I grabbed his arm. It was burning even through his sleeve. "Axel…"

Axel jerked his arm away, glaring forward and grinding his teeth. His eyes were cold as ice. "Damn it."

It was at that time that something began to eat at my brain. How can his eyes seem so cold while the rest of him is burning?

"Axel, sir, are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

He shoved me away and got to his feet. "Leave me alone! Leave me the hell alone! I can take care of myself, I don't need you! I don't need anybody!" his fingers had fire licking at them. "You understand that, you stupid kid?! I don't need anybody!"

I stared at his eyes. "Are you saying that to me, or to Roxas?"

_SLAP!_

My head jerked to the side from the force of the blow. I blinked, a few tears slipping out of my eyes as I stared at him.

Axel's chest heaved heavily as he panted. "Shut up! You can't talk about him! You don't have the right!"

I touched my cheek. "Yes, sorry, sir. Please forgive my insolence."

"Just get out of my sight," he spat.

"Y-yes, sir." I ran out, hoping he didn't see the tears running down my cheeks. I went to the one place where I knew I could find some help; Demyx's room. He was sitting on his bed, fiddling with his sitar as usual.

Demyx looked up when he heard me enter. "Hey, 'Zu…" he saw the tears and jumped to his feet. Immediately he was at my side. "Kazumi, what happened? Why are you crying? Did Xigbar come at you again?"

I shook my head and sat down on his bed. "I-I don't…know wh-why I'm crying l-like this…I've b-been hit a lot h-harder before…" I wiped my eyes.

Demyx's face hardened. "Who hit you? I'll kick the crap out of him."

"N-no!" I grabbed his sleeve. "It doesn't matter. I'm the one who started it. I was a jerk. I said things I shouldn't have. Ax—"

"Axel?! He's the one who hit you?! I thought I told you to stay away from him!" Demyx was pacing now. "He snapped at you, didn't he? He just lost control of himself and hit you…damn it, Ax…"

I grabbed his arm. "It's fine, Dem. I don't care. I just need to stay out of his way."

Demyx stared at me before setting a hand on top of my head. He sighed. "You're too good a kid, Kazumi."

I smiled slightly. "I'm not a kid, Dem."

"Yeah, you are."

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My face paled as I stared at the chore list in front of me. Sometimes I could've sworn Xemnas was out to make my life a living hell. My chores for the day were as followed; clean Superior's office, sweep the Hall of Empty Melodies, sharpen number III's lances, and clean number VIII's room.

I fisted my hair, groaning. "Anything but that! How the hell am I supposed to stay out of his way if I have to go in his room?! Ah!" I beat my head as I walked to Xemnas's office. "I hate my life. I hate my life. I hate my life." I chanted.

"And why's that?" Xemnas asked from his desk chair, looking up from his book.

I gulped and bowed my head. "N-No reason, sir. I didn't know you were in here."

"Hn." Xemnas returned to his book.

I got to work, hoping to draw out my time. Unfortunately for me, Xemnas was a very tidy person, so all I really had to do in his office was vacuum the carpet. I paused in his doorway before whirling around. I bowed my head. "Sir, please, may I have the rest of the day off?"

Xemnas stared in surprise. "The…day off? But you just had one." He raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-no, sir. It's just…well, you see…I guess I'm not feeling too well today. May I please go rest in my room?"

He seemed to think it over. He sorted through some papers on his desk. With a sigh, he finally spoke. "Very well. Just go and clean Axel's room, then you can rest." He smiled. "Please feel better soon, Kazumi."

I nodded. "Thank you…sir…" I turned and marched off to my doom.

I knocked softly on Axel's door, silently praying that he wasn't in there. My prayers went unanswered when I heard a muffled voice say "Come in." I opened the door slowly and stepped in. Axel was lying on his stomach on his bed, flipping through a book. "Most of the mess is on the floor." He said, not looking up.

I gaped at the floor, which was littered with empty cans, papers, and dirty clothes. I couldn't help it when a quiet "Wow" escaped me.

Axel rolled his eyes, which were still fixed on the book. "Yeah, yeah. Just get to work."

I frowned and muttered, "You don't have to be so rude." under my breath, which he did not appreciate.

"What the hell did you just—" he paused when he saw my face. His eyes narrowed. "You." He sat up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to clean your room." I answered simply. "Not my choice. Xemnas said I had to." I got to work, doing my best to ignore the stare he had fixed on me. I'd managed to get most of the clothes into a hamper before it began to overflow. I figured I could go get a second hamper later so I began to pick up the trash. "When was the last time someone cleaned your room?"

Axel frowned and looked away. "About a month. I…I don't like having servants do it. Rox did it for me." His nose scrunched up. "I hate cleaning."

I chuckled. "I can tell."

A few more minutes of silence filled the room before Axel spoke again. "Hey, Kazumi, I…well, I need…err…I'm sorry. For hitting you. I shouldn't have…I just have some problems when I get angry. My blood boils and…"

"You're hot." I stated before I realized what I said. My face turned red at the slight smirk on his face. "N-not like that! Oh god, not like that! I mean, your body…it's burning. Y-you feel like you're on fire."

Axel laughed. He held up his hand and a small flame rose up from his palm. "Fury of Dancing Flames. That's my codename, you know."

I watched the flame dance for a bit before looking up at Axel's eyes. In them the small blaze seemed even brighter and I realized that his eyes weren't frozen anymore. They were soft, warm like the fire he held. I smiled. _Maybe he's not so bad…_

Then Axel closed his fist, killing the fire. He stood. "Alright, to make myself feel better, I'm going to help you. Just tell me what to do."

"Really?" he nodded. "But you hate cleaning." Again he just nodded. I sighed. "Fine, you can help." I pointed to the overflowing hamper, "You see that? Take it to the hall and put it in your shoot, then bring it back. Then I need you to run and get me a few more trash bags. I'm not leaving here until your room is spotless."

Axel saluted playfully. "Aye, aye, ma'am!"

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"And he was all 'It's over!' and he grabbed my clones and used them to destroy the others!" Demyx exclaimed, waving his arms. "He was swinging the Keyblade around and it totally sucked! Then I had to run away and when I got back I realized I'd dropped the Olympus Stone, so Superior yelled at me! It's not my fault! I told them they shouldn't send me but they said, 'You'll do fine it's a simple mission' and when I fail I said 'I told you so' and then Superior told me if I screw up one more time he'd turn me into a dusk and—"

I pressed a hand to Demyx's mouth. "Dem, shut up and breathe. Your face is turning blue."

Demyx took in a few deep breaths before smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, but I had a lot to say and breathing's such a waste of time…"

"I know, but it's very essential." I smiled at him. "You've had a hard time." Then he suddenly pounced on me. "Demyx!"

He giggled and buried his face in my neck. "I missed ya, 'Zumi!" he peered at me. "You didn't have any trouble while I was gone, did ya?"

"No, no." I said, letting out a sigh. "Axel apologized and we're on better terms. He even helped me with some of my chores." I grinned and sat up, grabbing his shoulders. "Now tell me everything you saw while you were out! I wanna know all the details!"

Demyx laughed and told me. He always did that when he left the castle; told me everything he saw, and I always listened intently. I could imagine the worlds out there, worlds I wished desperately to see. It had been three years since I'd been taken to the castle and I hadn't left once. Even before that I'd never left my hometown. I wanted to see the places Demyx and the others saw, wanted it so bad I could taste it. "I'll see it all one day! When I finally get away from here I'll go there!" I would always say at the end of his stories.

I closed my eyes, smiling. I could see myself in the stands of the Coliseum and cheering for the fighters. I could see me shaking hands with Hercules, congratulating him on his latest win.

Demyx ruffled my hair affectionately. "You'll get there one day, I know it."

I nodded. "Uh-huh!" I looked at the clock; it was getting late. "I better go to bed." I pecked him on the cheek and stood. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He grinned. "Of course, 'Zumi!"

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Two weeks had gone by without much excitement. I was walking through the halls, bored out of my mind. Demyx was out doing something for Xemnas and I hadn't seen Axel for a couple days. I was hoping Demyx would get home soon; he'd promised to bring me photos when he returned. I couldn't wait.

I walked into my small room and plopped down on the twin-sized bed. I took in a deep breath and slowly relaxed. _Before I know it Dem will be here, showing me pictures of Hallow Bastion. He'll tell me everything he did, the people he saw, and the things he found._

There was a soft knock on my door and I sat up. "Come in!" The door opened and Axel stepped in, his face grim. He shut the door. "What're you doin' here, Axel?" I asked, not liking the expression on his face.

Axel cleared his throat. "Kazumi, I…I have some bad news." He looked away from my face. "Demyx, while he was in Hallow Bastion…" he swallowed, "he…faded into the darkness." I could feel my body grow cold. "I'm sorry, Kazumi, he's gone."

I didn't move; I didn't speak. No, it was impossible. Demyx couldn't be gone. Not **my** Demyx. Not my klutz of a best friend. My body went numb as I stared at Axel. "You're wrong." I said in a whisper. I couldn't even feel him hugging me as the tears started to roll down my cheeks. "You're wrong. You're wrong." I chanted it, as if that would make it true. "You're wrong."

Axel hugged me tighter and I thought I felt something warm drip onto my shoulder. Was he crying? Why would he cry? _I_ was the one who lost my best friend. _I_ was the one who lost the only one who ever understood me. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, not letting go.

I shook my head. "You're wrong! He…he can't be! He promised me!" I broke down, letting out loud sobs. "He promised me! He said he'd be back and bring me pictures!" my nails dug into Axel's skin as a clutched him. "Damn it! He can't do this to me!"

Axel continued to hold me, rocking me slightly. Slowly his warmth crept over me, killing the coldness that I was wrapped in. I buried my face in his shoulder. His cloak was wet from my tears. "Dem…" I would say quietly and he would shush me.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, him holding me as if I was a small child and me hanging on to him, but before I knew it I was asleep. I was dreaming. In the dream I was free, living in a small house on a beach. Demyx was there, though I don't remember where. I just remember him smiling at me and ruffling my hair.

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I stood in a small room. I couldn't place it, but it looked so familiar. In a corner sat a young girl with long brown hair. Her pale face was tear streaked as she stared at the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest. She didn't move when the door opened and a blond man walked in.

I stared at him. _I…I know him…_

The man walked over to the girl and crouched down next to her. "Hey, kid," he spoke softly, "you okay?"

The girl shook her head. "No! I hate it here! I wanna go home!"

He sat in front of her. "Things aren't so bad. I mean, you've been here a year, haven't you found anything you like?" she just shook her head again. "C'mon, kid, there has to be something."

That's when it hit me; the man was Demyx! And that girl was me when I was younger. I tried to run to him but my feet wouldn't move. "Demyx! Demyx, it's me!" I called to him. "Dem!"

The girl smiled slightly and sniffled. "Well, I got a friend like you…"

Demyx smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's right; you always got me, 'Zumi."

The younger me laughed and batted his hand away. "Don't do that, I _hate_ it!" she hugged him. "Promise you'll always be here?"

"Promise."

Darkness engulfed me again and I could feel myself sweating. I blinked opened my eyes and saw more black. _Huh?_ I stared forward until it hit me; it was an Organization cloak. I looked up to see Axel's sleeping face. My face got hot as I slowly realized what was happening. Axel was holding me.

I swallowed at the lump in my throat. My arms were pinned to my sides so I couldn't move them. "A-Axel, sir…" I said quietly, "Axel, wake up."

Axel's nose twitched but he continued to sleep peacefully.

"Axel, please wake up!" I said loudly.

Axel jolted up, me still in his arms. "Wha…" he blinked at me a few times before immediately pulling his arms away as if he'd just been burned. (no pun intended). I fell to the floor with a loud _Thump_. He jumped up and started to help me up. "I'm so sorry, Kazumi!"

I rubbed my sore butt as soon as I was steady on my feet. "Ow…" I gave him a look. "Why were you sleeping in my bed?"

Axel's face turned slightly red and he raised his hands defensively. "Y-you were freaking out so bad last night I thought you might…do something…drastic. Like running away or hurting yourself…so I stayed and I guess I fell asleep…"

"Why didn't you just have Dem—" I froze, everything catching up with me. _That's right…Demyx is gone._ I spun around and ran out the door, not knowing where I was going. I could hear Axel yelling after me but I ignored it.

Before I knew it, I was standing in Demyx's room. It was exactly the same, as if Demyx had never left. Rage was bubbling up in me and I kicked his dresser. "You promised me!" I shouted angrily, "You bastard! Why make a promise you couldn't keep?!" I grabbed a small vase of flowers from one of his bedside tables and threw it at the wall. Hot tears poured down my cheeks as I continued to destroy his room. "You said you'd always be here for me! Liar! Where are you now?!" I slid to the floor, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "How could you do this to me?" I asked quietly. "You were my best friend…I can't make it without you…I need you…" I punched the floor.

About an hour later I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Axel. "C'mon, kid."

I stood and buried my face in his chest, not wanting him to _see_ me cry. "I'm -hic- sorry."

He sighed and rubbed my back. "It's fine." He looked around the room. "You really did some damage. Why don't you go back to your room, I'll take care of all this."

I nodded, slowly letting go of him. "Thanks…" I went back to my room and collapsed on my bed.

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I was washing the dishes a week later when I felt someone pulling on the back of my shirt. I dropped the plate I'd been washing and it crashed to the floor. "What?" I looked at who was pulling me. "Axel?"

Axel stopped and put his hand in front of him. A portal opened. He shoved me through it before going in, the portal closing behind him.

I looked around. I was in a town full of neon lights. Axel pulled me back to prevent me from getting run over by a tram car.

"Idiot, watch where you're going!" he said, cursing.

I looked around again, mesmerized by everything I was seeing. "Where are we? Why'd you bring me here?"

Axel sighed. "You've been moping around the castle for the past week so I decided to do something about it. I remembered Demyx once told me you really wanted to go to another world one day, so here you are. Welcome to Twilight Town. Of course you can't stay here but—" he was cut off as I tackled him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!" I cried out. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me! Thanks so much!!"

Axel's face reddened a bit and he looked away. "Whatever."

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I licked a sea salt ice cream with earnest. I had officially decided that I'd never tasted anything better than the blue stuff. I smiled over at Axel, who was leaning against a nearby shop. He was dressed in casual jeans and a long-sleeved shirt so he could blend in and 'keep an eye on me'. He chuckled, most likely cause I was positive I had some ice cream smeared across my mouth.

"I've never seen a girl pack it away like you." Axel commented as I bought another ice cream. Earlier he'd stared in amazement as I wolfed down four hot dogs and three pretzels.

Despite what you might think, Xemnas did pay his servants. Twenty munny a week. I was never sure what he expected us to spend it on, since we never left the castle. Over the years I'd saved up four thousand two hundred munny and never thought I'd get to really spend it.

I laughed and shoved the ice cream in his mouth. "It wasn't for me, you dolt!"

Axel coughed and caught it. He raised an eyebrow, but started to eat it nonetheless. "That was very disrespectful."

I shrugged. "We're not in the castle. Out here I'm not a servant and you're not a master. We're just people." I took in a deep breath. "I feel so free!"

Axel watched me for a bit and I wondered what he was thinking but soon was distracted by a passing cat. I knelt down and started to play with it.

"Kazumi…what would you do if you _could_ be free? If Xemnas just let you go?" he asked out of the blue.

I let the cat go and stared up at the sky. "I want to explore the universe." I smiled over at him. "I want to see all the worlds out there." I looked back at the sky. "It's my dream. I want to swim to Atlantis. I want to roar at the peak of Pride Rock. To fly in Neverland, cheer at the Colliseum, meet Santa, I wanna do it all! Then when I'm done, when I've seen everything out there, I want to find a world to call home." I sighed. "I'd do anything for that."

Axel nodded and looked at the setting sun. "We better get back."

I frowned a bit and stood. "Alright." I followed him. "Hey, Axel?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks." I blushed for some reason and stared at my feet. "This all…well, it meant a lot to me. I had a lot of fun." A light bulb lit above my head and I ran so I was beside him. "Does this mean we're friends now?"

Axel looked at me from the corner of his eye. "I suppose."

A smile spread across my face. "And does that mean I can come hang out with you sometime?"

"Sure, I guess." He was giving me a strange look. "This leads to your room so I'll see you later."

I nodded and, on sure impulse, hugged him. "Thanks a lot, Ax." I ran through the portal but still caught him saying "Ax?"

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"Don't you have anything better to do?" Axel asked, irritated.

"Nope!" I giggled as I continued to mess with his spikes. "I still can't figure out how your hair can be so…so…well, how it can be like it is and yet so soft."

Two weeks had passed since Demyx had 'died' and I couldn't stop myself from growing irreversibly close to the redhead. He was currently laying on his stomach on his bed with his head at the foot. He'd been reading a magazine before I came in. I was sitting on the floor in front of him, running my hands through, pulling on, and musing with his spikes.

Axel growled and swatted my hand away for the thirteenth time. "Will you stop that?"

I shook my head and started running my hands through his hair again. I laughed when he stopped complaining as I started to scratch his scalp. He actually closed his eyes and leaned his head closer. "Oh my, does the big bad Axel like having his head scratched?" I teased.

He flipped me off but let out a disappointed groan when I stopped. "Don't stop." He ordered.

"Don't flip me off."

"Don't you give me orders."

I stuck out my tongue at him. He shot me a look and I pulled it back in. "Fine, you win." I started to scratch his head again. "Better, you controlling asshole?"

He nodded. "The big bad Axel's happy now." He said with a small smile on his face. A few minutes of silence passed before he spoke again. "Hey, Kazumi? Want to do me a favor?"

I pulled my hands back. "Yeah?"

He sat up and started to unzip his cloak. "Could you give me a massage? I have a knot and it's killing me."

I'd given Demyx massages plenty of times, so it was no big deal. "Sure, I gue…" My voice trailed off as he pulled his shirt off to reveal his skinny, yet strangely muscled chest. I started to wonder why I'd never noticed how nice and soft his skin looked. My eyes traveled over his chest to his faint four pack. A few scars were scattered across his front, probably from past battles.

"Kazumi?" Axel spoke, snapping me out of my ogling. He raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"

I nodded and got up. He laid back down and I claimed on top of him. After hesitating a bit, I straddled my self on his lower back and started the massage. His muscles relaxed at my touch as I kneaded at the tense knots.

Axel let out a pleased groan. "Yeah, that feels great. Been forever since I got a good rub." He arched his back a bit and hissed when I touched a small scar near his neck. "Hey, watch it. That's a sensitive spot." I apologized and continued. Then he somehow managed to roll over without knocking me off.

Now I was straddling his hips and could feel my face grow hot. "Ax, what're you—"

"You gotta do the front for it to be a massage." He said, as if it was obvious. He put his hands behind his head as a pillow. A minute passed and neither of us moved. "Well, you gonna do it or not?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll do it." I hesitated before running my hands over his chest.

Axel's eyes drifted closed as I continued the massage. He breathing evened out and I figured he was asleep so I got off. I grabbed a blanket and covered him. I paused, staring at his calm face. My eyes fixed on his parted lips and I swallowed thickly. _No, I can't. It wouldn't be right._ I told myself. _But…just one wouldn't hurt._

I swallowed again and leaned down. I'd never kissed a boy on the lips before, not counting that lip brushing with Xigbar. _Okay, just do it. Do it, get it over with, and get out of his room._ Softly, I pressed my lips to his. A few seconds passed and I pulled away, my face on fire. _I did not just do that! Oh, lord! How am I supposed to look him in the face again?! Oh, god…I_— A voice interrupted my thoughts.

"You really suck at kissing." I looked down at Axel, who was staring up at me.

"Axel, I-I-I…SORRY!!" I bolted out the door.

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Once again, I found myself avoiding Axel. It had been only a few days but I still couldn't believe what I'd done. I'd actually _kissed_ him! Standing in my room I found myself banging my head on the wall lightly. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

It wasn't just that I'd crossed the line between servant and master, or even the line between friends; it was the fact that I actually had feelings about Axel. They were small, yes, and could have been easily overlooked. And now I knew things could never be the same again. Things would be awkward, and we'd most likely just stay away from each other. Leaving me alone.

I hated the thought of being alone. Hated it with every fiber of my being. I needed to have someone with me to make it through life. Someone who could at least pretend to care about me.

"I'm so stupid." I muttered to myself, leaning against my bedroom door. I sighed and started walking towards the kitchen to do my chores. "Maybe if I just apologize to him…ugh…I hate my life."

I washed dishes with a few other servants for an hour before I noticed them staring at me and whispering to each other. I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

One blonde girl looked down. "It's just that…well, we heard that you…kissed Mister Axel and…we know that Mister Xigbar had stuck his claim on you…"

I rolled my eyes. _Great, just what I need; rumors._ "I did nothing of the sort and Mister Xigbar doesn't have any claim on me whatsoever." I started scrubbing the dishes again. "And I'd think you guys wouldn't be so childish to gossip."

Another girl scoffed. "Yeah right, you can try to act innocent if you want. We all _know_ that you were banging Mister Demyx before and now you've moved on to Mister Axel."

I stared at her in shock. "What did you just say?" I resisted the urge to slap her. "How dare you be so disrespectful! Demyx was a good man and—"

"Yeah, says his toy. So, how was he in bed?"

My self-control gone, I went to slap her but found my wrist caught in a gloved hand. I looked back. My eyes widened.

The girl gasped. "M-Mister Xigbar! What are you doing here, sir?"

Xigbar's one eye went to her. "You ladies are excused. I believe Kazumi has to explain a few things to me."

The girls looked at each other unsurely. Xigbar growled. "I gave you an order." At the sound of his voice they rushed out. He looked down at me, a smile coming to his face. "That's better."

I tried to pull my wrist free. "Sir, please let me go."

He shook his head. "No, we still have some unfinished business, Kazumi." With a jerk I fell against him and one of his arms snaked around my waist. His other hand grabbed my chin. "You're mine, Kazumi. The sooner you learn that, the better off we'll be."

I jerked my face away. "Let go of me! Superior will—"

"Superior won't know anything." He fisted the back of my hair, forcing me to look at him. "Because you're going to keep your mouth shut, or else." As if to prove his point, he gave my hair a sharp tug. "Now, be a good girl and do what I tell you."

His lips were on mine and they slowly traveled down my throat. With tears in my eyes I reached back to the sink, trying to find something to use as a weapon. My fingers curled around a handle of a knife. Quickly I attacked him with it.

"AHH!" Xigbar screamed, jumping back as he held the large gash on his left cheek. He glared at me. "That's it, you're dead." His guns appeared in his hand and I terror shoot through me.

I backed away, the knife held tightly in my hand. He aimed one gun at me and I squeezed my eyes shut. I heard it fire. "Axel!" I screamed in fear.

After ten seconds went by and I realized I was still alive and unharmed, I slowly opened my eyes. I stared in disbelief at what was in front of me and dropped the knife. Axel was standing in front of Xigbar, his hands on his throat, Xigbar's guns tossed to the floor.

Axel's hands had flames licking at them, burning the flesh on Xigbar's neck. "I thought I told you to leave her alone." He snarled through gritted teeth.

Xigbar hissed in pain. "Let me go!"

"Apologize to her!"

"Fuck off!"

I could see Axel's hands tighten before he shoved Xigbar to the side, causing him to fall over. Xigbar held his burnt neck, coughing. Axel turned to face me, his eyes hard ice. "You okay, Kazumi?" He reached out to touch me but I took a step back. "Kazumi?"

I stared at him, eyes wide. "Y-you're angry…you burn when you're angry." I looked at his hands, which no longer had flames on them. "Wh-why are you here?"

"What are you talking about? You called me." He looked down at Xigbar, a disgusted look on his face. "Let's continue this somewhere else." He grabbed my wrist, ignoring my wince, and pulled me through a portal.

We were in my room. I rubbed my wrist, which was slightly red. "Thank you…" I said in a low voice, looking away from him.

Axel shrugged. "It's no big deal. I'll take any chance to kick Xigbar's ass."

"Oh…"

A moment of silence enveloped and I half expected him to leave, but he just continued to stand in front of me. Finally he spoke up, "Why won't you look at me?"

I swallowed, feeling my cheeks get a little hot. "B-because…I don't want things to be…awkward."

"Awkward?"

I nodded. "Yeah…since I…y' know…k-kissed you…"

For some reason, he seemed to find that funny and started laughing. "You're an idiot, kid." He took a step closer. "Look at me."

Hesitantly, I looked up. I let out a squeak when he leaned down and kissed my lips briefly. "A-Axel! What're you doing?!"

He grinned. "Nothing. You sneaked one, so why can't I?"

My face was on fire. "N-no! You can't—I mean, we can't—It's _wrong_!"

An eyebrow went up at that. "Why?"

"B-because! We just-just _can't_! It's not allowed!"

One of his hands went to my back and pulled me closer. "You talk to much." He said before his hot mouth was on mine again, this time more demanding. I felt myself melt against him.

A minute later he let me go and I panted for air. He gave me his token smirk before kissing my forehead and exiting my room.

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My eyes hurt the next day from lack of sleep. Due to the confusion a certain fire-wielder had left me with I had been wide awake all night.

I rubbed my eyes, yawning. "Damn it, Axel." I leaned against the wall, sighing. "I can't make it through the day like this…wonder how much trouble I'd get in if I bailed? Hmm…" Midst my contemplating I didn't notice someone approach me and only noticed when they slipped their warm arms around my waist. "Axel!" I cried, squirming as he kissed my neck.

Axel smirked down at me, bending down to kiss my neck again. "Good morning, dear." He said jokingly. "How'd you sleep last night?"

I pushed him back, as far as I could. "You're annoying." I stated blankly.

"So I've been told." He grinned, "Kiss me."

Rolling my eyes and blushing I pecked him on the lips. "So…what does this mean?"

His arms tightened around me. "It means you're mine. If you don't like that, then tough. Alright? Alright."

I nodded. "Fine, but…" I gulped and blushed before wrapping my arms securely around his neck, "that better mean…th-that you're mine as well."

"Sure thing, babe."

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Life couldn't have been better unless Demyx was still 'alive'. Everyday I got up early, tore through my chores, then rushed to Axel's waiting arms. I no longer had any issues with Xigbar; the man knew to leave me alone, and the other servants had long since stopped their senseless whispers about me. I was, for the first time since my parents had died, truly happy.

Two months had gone by since me and Axel had been official. Every week he'd take me to a new world. He said he wanted to help me make my dream come true while he was still around to see it. I hated when he talked like that.

The organization had been getting killed off by the Keyblade wielder, it was all too obvious. The last one was Xalden. Luxord was lucky to have escaped. Though Axel was cocky, I could tell he was afraid of fading into the darkness.

I sat next to him on his couch. He was casually reading a magazine he'd picked up somewhere. I laid my head on his shoulder and let out a sigh.

"Something wrong, babe?" Axel asked, not looking away from the magazine.

I looked up at him. "Axel…lets run away." That made him laugh. "No, I'm serious."

"I'm not going to turn on the Organization, Kazumi. I've done too many horrible things to do that."

I straightened and continued to stare at his face. "Ax, I love you. I don't want to lose you like I lost Demyx."

He sighed and set down the magazine. He pulled me to him. "You know I can't say that back. I'm not capable of 'love'."

"That's wrong." I felt my eyes water up. "Just cause it doesn't beat, doesn't mean your heart's not there. Axel, please, lets just leave. I don't care where we go, as long as we're together."

"Hey, c'mon, don't cry." He ran a gloved thumb under my eye to wipe away the tears. "I don't run, Kazumi, you know that. I never run."

I shook my head. "If you die…I don't know what I'll do…"

"Then I just won't die."

"You can't control when you die, Ax. If you could, I'd still have Demyx. And my parents." I sniffled. "Axel…I can't lose you. I love you. I don't care if you don't think you can love me back, it doesn't change the way I feel."

His hand massaged my scalp, making me sleepy. We sat in silence. When he finally spoke I was mostly asleep so I'm not sure if he actually spoke at all. "If I could, I'd love you too."

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"Axel! That hurts!" I said as Axel pulled me sharply through a portal. We were in Traverse Town. I looked around. "Ax, what are we doing here?" He pulled me to him roughly, planting his lips on mine. They were cold. I pushed him back. "Axel, what's going on? You're cold! You're never cold!"

Axel looked around anxiously. "Kazumi, you love me, right?"

I nodded. "Of course, but what does—"

He put a finger to my lips. "Then you'll do what I say." He pressed a small pouch in my hand. "Kazumi, I want you to take this munny and buy a train ticket. Then I want you to go as far away from here as you can. Go to Hallow Bastion or something, I don't care. Some place safe." He kissed me. "Kazumi, I'm never going to see you again."

"What? Axel, what are you talking about? I'm not leaving you. What's going on? Tell me."

"I have a chance…to help Roxas. And I'm going to, but I won't be able to come back from it. If the fight doesn't kill me, Xemnas will." He grabbed my hands. "Roxas…I have to help him, even if it means my existence. Even if it's not _my_ Roxas, I have to. You understand, right?"

Tears were rolling down my face. I nodded, choking back a sob. "B-but, what am I supposed to do without you? I don't want to be alone again, Axel. I love you. I need you."

His lips pressed against my forehead and a portal of darkness opened behind him. "I'm sorry." He turned and the portal closed. And that would be the last time I would see him.

I fell to my knees, crying hard. I punched the stone ground, wincing as one of my knuckles broke.

**The End**

PSYC!!

"You're Axel's friend, right?" A quiet, timid voice asked from above me.

I looked up. In front of me stood a blonde girl in a white dress. She smiled and extended a hand. "We must hurry, I don't have much time. Riku's waiting on me."

I took her hand. _It's not like I have much to lose._ I thought bitterly. She guided me to the old mansion through the woods. We entered a computer room where a group of kids were sitting, completely focused on the computer. The girl gestured for me to be quiet. She led me down a hallway.

I stared at giant egg in front of me. I looked over at her. "What…?"

The girl smiled and gestured to an egg in the corner. In it was….no…

"Demyx?!" I cried in disbelief.

She nodded. "Yes, he's been sleeping here for awhile." She looked around the room. "DiZ built this place to restore Sora's memories but after that decided to use it to study Nobodies. If you step inside, you'll be able to be with Demyx again. And Axel when he returns."

My eyes watered up. "Really? That…that's too good to be true."

She shook her head. "A world will be constructed from your memories and dreams."

I stepped over to the egg. I touched it. "I'll get to be with them? Forever?"

"Forever."

A tear rolled down my cheek. "Thank you so much…"

The girl smiled. "My name is Naminé."

"Thank you, Naminé."

I closed my eyes as the egg closed around me. Then I was on a beach, running to hug Demyx for the first time in ages.

**The End, For Real**


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